Within the first paragraph of Ville Nummenpää's latest blog post you should already have an idea of where it's going as it's a conundrum and trap many of us creatives fall into and become familiar with. This amusing article should serve as a healthy reminder just how quickly things can unravel and the madness can take over as we descend, quite literally in this case, into pure development soup. What's that old saying about too many cooks again? - CJ

We're at that point where it's time to revisit my annual blog about forming a plan to succeed in screenwriting not only in the next twelve months but over the years it typically takes to break in. Christmas is a great time to pause and reflect on where we are and I like to keep this guide updated with any new information I find while keeping it in context in regard to the current state of events. Needless to say, the landscape has changed considerably once again - CJ

Perhaps one of the biggest leaps we make in the early days of our screenwriting journey is the one from writing to networking. Suddenly we have to switch hats and adopt a whole new mindset that encompasses concepts we're unfamiliar with. It's daunting and that's why many stay within the comfort of entering competitions and evaluation services. There's really no substitute for promoting directly to industry members however and the most common way to do that is with querying. In this blog, Larry Postel guides you through a methodology based in quality and not quantity with proof that it's...

You might want to sit down and get comfortable for this insightful blog by Neil Chase, but don't get too comfortable because the topic is going to get under your skin. Dark themes aren't exclusive to horrors or thrillers, they're part of everyday life, so don't skip this one thinking it isn't for you. Detailing a lot about the craft itself and providing helpful examples, Neil goes to remarkable trouble here to list what he feels are the top ten dark themes that can be leveraged to help make a resounding story - CJ

Good stories teach us something and take us on an emotional rollercoaster through the process. Those emotions need to be varied; from feeling elated to feeling mortified and everything in between. There's no denying that we can very violent animals and face very violent realties and, in this blog post, Ville Nummenpää makes a well rounded and slightly tongue-in-cheek case for including violent content within cinema and ultimately within our writing - CJ

Sometimes it's easy to assume everyone out there on the other side of a computer screen is fully able-bodied but that's often not the case. Those living with disabilities can find seemingly easy things difficult too such as being able to simply sit at a computer and type. Lily Blaze is very open about the difficulties she faces and in this article goes into some detail, gives some guidance, and closes on a very important message we can all benefit from listening to - CJ

When it comes to the entire cast of characters within our scripts, writing dialogue that feels both unique and appropriate to each individual can be a real bugbear for many writers. In this article, Robert Bruinewoud details a technique to help get around this issue that starts in a place we don't typically associate with speech but may provide just the inspirational prompt we need - CJ

Something I see a lot of on amateur screenwriting forums is writers telling one another that the spec script market is dead, nobody is buying them, and their collection of completed scripts are useful as a portfolio at best. While selling a spec to the IP obsessed big Hollywood studios might be a pipe dream, there is still a hungry section of the industry snapping them up to meet production demands. Don't believe me? Check out this blog post by Larry Postel which details the key elements he feels helped him sell not one, not two, but FOUR spec scripts over the past few years - CJ

So, I ended Part 2 of this series on a bit of a cliff-hanger… if you call a cliff-hanger the build up to something we all really know the ending to! After effectively writing three new spec scripts, re-writing a previous spec, and eventually getting a green-light on new feature film, our hopes were dashed at the eleventh hour as the pandemic hit and shut Hollywood down - CJ

So, with my second film Double Threat releasing in the US on June 3rd, I’ve been feeling a little guilty that I’ve not been writing more parts in this series that detail how I got here. As some of you know, I’ve written and produced two feature films since I wrote Part 1 and, well, there’s so much to talk about it’s all become a bit of a monster that I’ve finally started to tackle. Sorry for the two-and-a-half year wait! Here’s Part 2 - CJ

How do professional screenwriters come up with ideas for a project? What’s their process? How are they able to take a simple thought and develop it into a full-fledged concept? That's exactly what Dakota Fawcett will answer in the following article and YouTube video, which is planned to be the first part of a three-part series. Here he talks about how to create story concepts that will guide you through your first draft, and further drafts to come by building an already existing story from the ground up - CJ

I've known a few perfectionists in my life and, as a result, I consider myself lucky to be what I call an "eighty-percenter" - someone who can get great results fast and comfortably walk away before it gets too intense. Perfectionism is often overly romanticised and typically an incapacitating burden for those plagued by it. In this article, Ville Nummenpää makes a good argument for choosing our heroes wisely and keeping the pedal to the metal with both eyes fixed on the creative horizon - CJ

Some of us a pre-writers and some of us are re-writers. If you're the latter, you have most likely heard the phrase "re-writing is writing" at some point and have that constantly in your mind. In this article by Rockstar Member Chris Lutzow, he makes a convincing (and scientifically backed) argument for doing the last thing many of us want to do but can often be for the best for our material - to stop writing and walk away from the script - CJ

When I started Script Revolution, I had a dream that one day I'd get to see members option their material and go on a wonderful life-changing adventures, watching their words turned into reality during production and that production itself go on to wow an audience. Gary Piazza has had a dream too, one he's been keeping alive for three decades. In this blog he talks about how both our fantasies came true in the form of Dig Me No Grave and offers some helpful tips for writers still trying their hardest to break in - CJ

The key to entertaining screenwriting lies in provoking a range of emotions in the audience. One of those most powerful emotions, so powerful in fact it surpasses the typical need to adhere only to beats that drive the story forward, is humour. In this article, Ville Nummenpää, a man who is far funnier than he claims he is, breaks down some of the core elements of this black art in a way that's so simple even I can understand it - CJ

Today marks my ten year anniversary in screenwriting. I like to think I have quite a bit to show for it now I’m a writer-producer with a few feature films, my own production company, a book on craft, and a script hosting platform to my name. That said, I’ve lost a lot too in a bid to survive long enough to break in. It’s been a hell of a journey that’s tested the fortitude of my mental health to its limits. Something I’m sure many of you can relate to. Let’s take a look back down memory lane and see what lessons have been learned - CJ

When you’ve spent a long time in a particular profession, it’s hard to ever take that hat off fully. I did twenty years in the field of marketing and now tend to see everything through a marketeer’s eyes. Since then I’ve spent a decade in the world of filmmaking so I’ve naturally become fascinated with the marketing obstacles screenwriters face. I built Script Revolution to help tackle the most fundamental issue of exposure and now I want to talk about another issue few writers seem to be taking seriously, an issue I’m calling “The Gap” - CJ

It's time once again to revisit my annual blog about forming a plan to succeed in screenwriting in the next calendar year. Christmas is a great time to pause and reflect on where we are and I'm trying to keep this guide updated with any new information I find and keep it in context in regard to the current state of events. Needless to say, it's been another weird year - CJ

The recent Austin Film Festival screenplay competition controversy regarding their reader feedback has ignited a heated debate about the quality of competition readers and their ability to give considered feedback writers can work with to improve their material. In this article, Lawrence Davidson highlights a concern that we may be failing to see the wood for the trees. It's time to reconsider why so many of us screenwriters enter competitions in the first place - CJ

I’ve spent the best part of ten years now hearing the phrase “you’ll look like an amateur” over and over again within screenwriting communities but, more often than not, what’s fussed over is petty and ambiguous. Yet, at the same time, I see behaviour that screams NOOB from the rooftops that it seems nobody’s talking about. So, here’s a list of what jumps out to me and how to correct the course - CJ

Stephen Ford is fast becoming know in these parts for his brutally honest articles on the reality of trying to turn a love of writing into a viable screenwriting career. I'm pleased to say, he's back with another, this time covering the topic of that melancholy we can feel for our passion after an extended time chasing the dream. It's tough and it's far from the romantic ideal many paint it as. I'm sure many of us can empathise with the insight Stephen shares and take a little comfort in the ethos he proposes - CJ

I’m a painfully loyal person and, while that sounds like a strength, I’m not entirely sure it is. It’s a trait. Loyalty is a strange beast that can often be tied to a lot of different factors that mean what looks like loyalty in others might be something else entirely, while our own loyalty can often be exploited. I want to introduce you to a concept; the difference between having our loyalty rewarded and having our loyalty abused - CJ

I'm a pretty fast writer. My current film in production took ten days to write, the previous one took six, and I once attached an Oscar Award Nominated actor to a script I'd written in just three. If you've read my Turn & Burn Screenwriting Guide, you'll know I encourage good planning and a fast pace for anyone who wants to turn pro. In this article, regular contributor Ronika Merl talks about how she finds writing fast fuels her artistic passion, maintains her motivation, and produces better results overall - CJ

Breaking in is tough, real tough, but once you do get that first assignment or spec sale and the drafting starts, it's a whole new struggle, especially internally as you now need to perform under pressure, pressure that's partly self-imposed. Stephen Ford, founding member of the Screenwriters Ireland Facebook Group, perfectly encapsulates the mind-state many of us fall into in this admirably honest and authentic blog post detailing his own brutal experience - CJ

I love it when smart, creative thinkers challenge my views. J.B. Storey is the definition of a smart, creative thinker with remarkable credentials to back that up. As many of you know, I'm not a fan of small, unknown competitions and festivals when it comes to getting traction as an aspiring screenwriter. J.B. however makes a good argument in this article to look at the marketplace differently and consider the boutique approach - CJ